UDenver vs Pepperdine

Nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the University of Denver (DU) and Pepperdine University, located in the vibrant city of Malibu, California, stand as two distinct beacons of higher education. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they offer unique experiences shaped by their diverse locations, student demographics, and academic strengths. With DU's acceptance rate hovering around 50% and Pepperdine's at a more selective 33%, prospective students may find themselves drawn to one university over the other. Explore the comparison table below to delve into further details, including popular majors, student body composition, graduation rates, and more, to determine which university aligns best with your aspirations and goals.
Pepperdine University logo

Pepperdine University

University of Denver logo

University of Denver

Overview

Location Malibu, California Denver, Colorado
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 93.0% 84.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Churches of Christ

Admission

Acceptance rate 52.7% 63.6%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
SAT range 1260 - 1440 1200 - 1390
ACT range 25 - 30 27 - 31
Students submitting SAT score 19.0% 24.0%
Students submitting ACT score 3.0% 27.0%
Total number of applicants 11,855 22,694
Total number of admissions given out 6,249 14,440
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,024 1,621
Yield rate 16.4% 11.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $80,152 $73,514
Average net price $40,945 $39,973
Tuition $59,450 $53,640
Room & board $16,700
Room/dormitory: $9,262

Meal plan: $5,412
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

96.0%
Average amount $36,967
98.0%
Average amount $31,672
Students receiving federal student loan 38.0%
Average amount $5,171
38.0%
Average amount $5,173
Students taking out private loans 9.0%
Average amount $12,899
5.0%
Average amount $21,978

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,708
Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
5,867
Men 44.8% Women 55.2%
Graduate students 6,738
Men 30.2% Women 69.8%
8,263
Men 33.8% Women 66.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 46.9% 71.9%
International students 8.3% 4.1%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,579 2,647
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Texas Washington Colorado Arizona Colorado California Illinois Texas Minnesota

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Psychology
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 13:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 83.0% 75.7%
Dropout rate 16.6% 23.5%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $100,699
  • Year 2: $92,733
  • Year 3: $106,087
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,518
  • Year 2: $74,576
  • Year 3: $93,293
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,829
  • Year 2: $96,691
  • Year 3: $91,701
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,898
  • Year 2: $71,015
  • Year 3: $90,146
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,350
  • Year 2: $62,508
  • Year 3: $75,589
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $49,825
  • Year 2: $57,318
  • Year 3: $71,546
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,559
  • Year 2: $57,770
  • Year 3: $70,082
International Business (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,228
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $65,821
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,799
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $58,854
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,780
  • Year 2: $46,156
  • Year 3: $56,663
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $87,503
  • Year 2: $86,129
  • Year 3: $98,717
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,126
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $86,073
Taxation (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,750
  • Year 2: $66,104
  • Year 3: $85,588
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,915
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: $78,170
Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $70,020
  • Year 2: $72,667
  • Year 3: $77,585
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $66,104
  • Year 3: $75,452
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,899
  • Year 2: $60,704
  • Year 3: $73,790
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,139
  • Year 2: $73,949
  • Year 3: $73,641
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,983
  • Year 2: $62,632
  • Year 3: $73,152
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,647
  • Year 2: $65,905
  • Year 3: $72,754

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